Joseph Aieta III, MA

Degrees: M.A. (two), Brandeis University; B.S., The College of the Holy Cross

Biography: Following undergraduate training in history and philosophy, Joseph Aieta, III undertook graduate work, first in Near Eastern and Judaic Studies where he concentrated his studies on Islamic civilizations and on 19th and 20th Century political history in Palestine and Egypt. He then turned his attention to Politics and the History of Ideas where he focused his work on political theory, international relations, and comparative modern and contemporary history. He has taught full-time at Lasell since 1969.

Over the past four decades, his principal attention has been on his teaching. He has introduced numerous courses in history, philosophy, and political studies. He also pioneered team-taught cooperative classroom ventures with colleagues from the English, art, music, sociology, and biology. He is an active presenter at scholarly conferences, and he has published book reviews in several scholarly journals. His research is centered in three general areas: intellectual exchanges and comparisons between Islamic and Western cultures, explorations in European ideas, and the scholarship of teaching. Currently he is at work on a study of recent English language biographies of Muhammad.

What do you like about teaching at Lasell?"Lasell as an institution has afforded me the opportunity to think about and teach ideas. Over the years, I believe that I have learned more about life, its hopes, and its disappointments from my students than they have from me. I have come to appreciate the value of different, fresh approaches to the same material by succeeding generations of students. Also, Lasell has supported me in my quest for ever more knowledge by presenting me with the opportunity to offer challenging specialty courses in addition to those that are more general. Finally, I have been fortunate in having colleagues who have encouraged me in my research, writing, and presentations. When it comes to learning and teaching, often small can be far more beneficial than large."